On a Wing and a Prayer
by Alpha-alien
Summary: Dr. Kirk Langstrom worked late into the evening, working on his serum. He wouldn't be seen again until the following morning, blood on his tattered clothing, a funny taste in his mouth and no memory of the night before. /Oneshot


I've been watching some Animated Series Batman, and as you know Manbat is the first "villain" we see.

So, my mind began to work and thus I (probably poorly) brought Manbat to the Nolan-verse.

* * *

The hearing aid itched. Dr. Kirk Langstron removed the device and proceeded to itch, frowning at the silence. He cursed himself. He wasn't getting old, but his hearing was leaving his rapidly. He only prayed his experiment would be a success.

All his life, he had difficulty hearing. He could blame his mother for drinking, but he couldn't bring himself to it. Instead, he continued his work, replacing the aid. The soft tones of Fur Elise once again returned. He hummed alone softly, mixing the chemicals before him, following the specifications written in his large, neat handwriting. His hands shook slightly out of anxiety. Could this be the cure?

If this serum worked as he was sure it would, then he could make a large progress in helping human sensory loss. This serum, if successful, would grant humans the ability of sonar - much like a bat. A smile crossed his face as the concoction hissed and merged beautifully.

Bats have always fascinated him, even as a child. He loved their tiny expressions, their small squeaks and their ability to see through sonar. They really were fascinating creatures.

He briefly wondered how it would be to gain sonar. His thoughts flew to many outlandish and sci-fiesque scenarios and he laughed at how his _wide_ his imagination was.

The serum turned a dull purple as it boiled. Langstron withdrew a small eyedropper and emptied it's contents into the boiling liquid. Would this work? Would this really work? _Really_? He had doubts before, but all theories had doubts. That's why he would test it on himself.

He'd be certain it would work. He was excited to complete the experiment that he didn't hear his phone ring. He did hear the answering machine pick up and listened as a beautiful voice spoke.

"Kirk? It's Francine. I guess you're still pretty busy," a chuckle, "anyway, I just wanted to let you know that dinner should be ready in an hour. I won't reheat it for you this time, either!" she mockingly scolded. "I love you." The machine clicked as Francine hung up her end.

Kirk smiled, as he pictured his wife chewing on her lip as she walked back to the kitchen to stir a pot of beans. His stomach growled in anticipation of dinner and he went back to his test tubes. First, he had to try this experiment. Francine would be thrilled to see Kirk, and maybe (if the experiment was a success) be excited to see that he could hear again.

Langstrom picked up a syringe and extracted the serum. He stared as the liquid seemed to move on it's own will. Rolling up his sleeve he took a breath and pressed the needle into his arm.

It burned white hot. Oh, sweet Jesus! Langstrom dropped the syringe, and grabbed onto his arm, crying out in pain. The heat traveled up his arm and towards his chest, down his legs. Everywhere, within a matter of seconds, burned. Langstrom moaned, screamed, and thrashed around, shattering test tubes filled with months of work. He didn't care as the small Bunsen burner tipped over, igniting his notes and the table. He didn't care that the room began to be engulfed in flames.

Langstrom looked at his arms, realizing the muscles were bulging, ripping his shirt. He cried in pain, but the sound that came was - inhuman. Hair sprouted, and he felt his flesh get stretched. He cried out again. His office continued to burn, and Langstrom had one thought in mind: Get out!

On lookers would later say that a window shattered and a large figure flew off into the night. When asked to describe the figure, opinions varied. It was brown. It was black. It had fangs going down past it's chin. Talons were on it's feet! But one thing was perfectly consistent.

It looked like a giant bat.


End file.
